Left side vs right side

[Lefthand]

I know this has been asked a thousand times but my variation on the question must be a bit different because I cant find anything much about it and yes ive searched.

Im left handed AND left eye dominant... Not just cross dominant.

I started shooting right handed but sold all my firearms and went left handed.
Only to discover there really isnt a whole lot of aftermarket parts for lefties.

Because of this I dont get a whole lot of shooting done, well that and the cost of ammo lol.

Im all about accuracy, not a hunter (no issues if you are) im just more into target shooting.

Im VERY close to being ambidexterous and ambioccular.

Wha I want to know, is it actually possible to retrain your hand and eye dominance?
There was a time the answer was NO.
Now I run across more and more "rumours" of people having done it.

Still its been years and I have yet to find any real info on it.

I dont want to be wedged into being a lefty anymore... But I also dont want to be a righty if its going to mess up my shooting.

With practice can one side be made as strong as the other or more so?

 

[Evan]

If you're using your non-dominant eye, you'll need your form to be consistent every time. No change in body or eye position in relation to the rifle or target. That is certainly easier to do if you're just a target shooter and not out in the field in varying conditions and positions.

 

[Lefthand]

Interesting... Makes sense.
Out of curiosity... Might it be possible to do under vaying conditions or completley out of the question?

 

[rwj]

I’m also left-handed and left eye dominant. I’ve found it relatively easy to shoot right-handed rifles by operating the bolt using my right hand. The advantage being you never disturb your left hand’s grip/position on the rifle/trigger when shooting groups. I believe you can too as you’ve stated you’re nearly ambidextrous now. A little “tuning” of the ejector may be required to prevent cases from hitting your head! Never an issue with an AR platform...

Edit to add welcome to the forum!

 

[BoydAllen]

Question: Is your target shooting supported rather than position? The reason that I ask is that I have a lot of experience shooting LH with RH rifles, from the bench, and I prefer that configuration to a LH rifle. I can shoot either left or right, but I prefer left because of eye dominance. Shooting right, I run into eye fatigue issues. Also, if you get into custom actions, there is no problem finding suitable LH equipment. If someone was building a rifle and was limited to factory actions, and it was only going to be shot from some sort of rest, for RH shooting I would recommend a LH action, and the opposite for LH shooting. I know that this is a non standard approach, but I submit that pretty much all of those that disagree have not tried what they reject. I also have a couple of left bolt, right port rifles, so I am familiar with all the options.

 

[Evan]

Interesting... Makes sense.
Out of curiosity... Might it be possible to do under vaying conditions or completley out of the question?

I don't see why you couldn't develop some level of proficiency, it's hardly unheard of to shoot offhanded. I can't comment on if you'd be able to match the "correct" side performance or not. As a righty, I haven't ever needed to try so I'm talking out my a^^ here .

 

[JMayo]

I taught myself to shoot pistols left handed because of damage to right hand in an accident and I can't be safe in shooting competitions. Now I can shoot easily with ether hand.
I fish left handed now also and can hit my desired spot majority of the time.
Eye dominance only effects if you shoot both eyes wide open. Squent which ever you choose and it becomes motion detection only ..... My opinion ...

 

[NorCalMikie]

Shoot your right handed rifles left handed. I'am right handed but wanted to try shooting a lefty right handed. Picked up a Savage Model 12 lefty repeater action, mounted it in an amby stock and headed to the range.
LOVED IT!!!
Ordered up a right hand thumb hole bench rest stock with a 3" forearm. Plugged the right hand bolt handle cut and recut it on the left side.
Right hand stays in the thumb hole while the left hand works the bolt and feeds ammo. This is strictly for bench shooting.
Only problem now is shooting my right hand rigs and having to take my right hand off the stock to work the bolt and feed ammo.

 

[KMart]

I would say that you can train or retrain yourself to whichever side you want to shoot. And, being near ambidextrous should be an advantage.
An example is my Mom's 1st cousin. He entered the Marine Corps in 1939 and spent WWII and Korea as a left handed infantryman with the 1st MarDiv. After Korea, he joined the Marine Corps rifle team and they told him that he must switch to a right hander to be on the team and he did. He went Distinguished with a rifle in 1956 and pistol in 1957.

 

[Westhunder]

I am cross dominate, right handed, left eye dominate, and most of the research I have done is that if you try to retrain your dominance issue, what you really are accomplishing is better form. Or correct form. So you have gained a bunch of bad habits over the years, and when you learn to shoot with the other hand and other eye, you are learning to shoot with a different hand and eye, but more importantly you are learning with good technique. I say all that to say, shoot what's comfortable, but there is no substitute for deliberate practice, with good technique. I am more deliberate with my practice and successful when I am in good form. I shoot cross dominate and have become fairly proficient at it. Really there is no " correct" way, good deliberate practice with good grip, forum and technique wins every time. Thats why there are number one shooters that are both right hand /right eyed and cross dominate out there. ( and vice versa of course lol)

 

[ckaberna]

I spent many years hunting with “right” handed rifles but being left handed/left eye dominant (shooting left handed) I wondered what I was missing. So, I got to when I could afford a LH rifle, I bought one wasn’t impressed. Seemed “awkward “ . All my shooting was from a coat on truck hood for a rest or something similar.
I can tell you this, bolt action rifles are designed the way they are for a reason, I was shooting a 25-06 a couple of years ago and a factory round pierced the side of the case blowing particles into the right side of my face/eyes out of the chamber. I had sunglasses on thankfully but never realized the potential. The case had apparently had some “barrel cleaning agent” on it at some point. I have pics of it if I can find them. Will post.

 

[D-4297]

My "Open" rifle is right-bolt , right-port , and my F-TR gun is "Left-bolt , left-port . I'm right eye dominant , and shoot both guns , right-handed . Just operate the left-handed F-TR rifle bolt left-handed , and load it left-handed . Right hand never comes off the rifle thru a string . As others have said , find what is comfortable , and works for you . Trigger time solves a world of issues .

 

[Prose]

I shoot both sides and have for probably 10 years. No difference at all. Took about 4 or 5 months, maybe 2,000 rounds down range to build the capability.

 

[snakepit]

I would say that you can train or retrain yourself to whichever side you want to shoot.

Recently I have come down with a medical problem with my right eye and I have been forced to learn to shoot using my left eye and left handed. With most of my shooting being freestyle benchrest it has been a little easier to retrain myself. I hope to have surgery on my right eye in a few months and eventually be able to shoot using my right eye again.

 

[MGYSGT]

All my life I have shot a rifle left handed. I bought a left handed rifle once. Didn't own it very long. From the bench or in the prone with bipod I find that a right handed rifle in the position of a left handed shooter is the best option. Never have to move my left hand to load and the rifle stays where it belongs.

 

[dsculley]

Ryan Cleckner says that by all tests he has ever taken he is left eye dominant but has always shot right handed. He also says that when he has a student that has a bad shooting habit they just can't seem to overcome, he has them switch shooting sides and their shooting almost always improves.

If you shoot with both eyes open it can take a bit to get your brain to focus on your non-dominant side, but it is not too hard. I have played with it while looking through spotting scopes and can get accustomed to the non-dominant eye on the scope fairly quickly.

If you shoot with one eye closed (or a spot on your glasses in front of the non-shooting eye) it should be no problem at all. In this case it is all mechanical.

Look at it this way, if you swap sides you can take all you have learned and train your new side correctly from the start.

 

[seymour fish]

I know this has been asked a thousand times but my variation on the question must be a bit different because I cant find anything much about it and yes ive searched.

Im left handed AND left eye dominant... Not just cross dominant.

I started shooting right handed but sold all my firearms and went left handed.
Only to discover there really isnt a whole lot of aftermarket parts for lefties.

Because of this I dont get a whole lot of shooting done, well that and the cost of ammo lol.

Im all about accuracy, not a hunter (no issues if you are) im just more into target shooting.

Im VERY close to being ambidexterous and ambioccular.

Wha I want to know, is it actually possible to retrain your hand and eye dominance?
There was a time the answer was NO.
Now I run across more and more "rumours" of people having done it.

Still its been years and I have yet to find any real info on it.

I dont want to be wedged into being a lefty anymore... But I also dont want to be a righty if its going to mess up my shooting.

With practice can one side be made as strong as the other or more so?

Yes, with intense practice and regular reinforcement. Will revert back to baseline over time without reinforcement. With a scope it approaches Moot. Shotgun or instinctive bow, critical

 

[kzin]

As almost everybody said, handedness is usually not a big deal to change and dealing with a wrong handed rifle is not usually a big deal either, sometimes even an advantage. I own and shoot 2 left handed and many right handed rifles.

Personally, I find trying to shoot with my non-dominant eye very, very difficult. I have to physically block the dominant eye and even then it's a constant struggle to make the 'unnatural' eye do the work.

If you can easily look through the scope and put the reticle on target with your right eye I would say go ahead and shoot right-handed. Or do both.

 

[RDavies]

LH shooters have it so easy in F class. A right bolt/right port is so simple to use left handed. As a right hander, I have to special order left bolt/left port actions to get the same convenience.

 

[Lefthand]

Wow I never expected so many replies and good information!

So to sum it up... Its seems.

Yes I can retrain whichever side works for me.
It will revert in time if not kept up.
Opposite side rifles can get you in the face/eyes with stuff.
Its best to train both sides.

The one point I guess... I picked up a right handed rifle from a family member. It does feel odd and awkward to me but surprisingly not "as bad" as I thought.

Even with both eyes open its still reasonable, using "standard right handed form"

It just feels odd lol.